Published on Nov 7, 1998
I know what you’re already asking – “Why does this record have
two titles, Bob?” Well, for one thing, that’s how it’s listed on my
album jacket. (For the record – no pun intended – I’m working off
the re-issue that was paired with
The Who Sell Out back in the ’70s.) From what I’ve been able
to gather, the album should be called
A Quick One, but at the time of its American release, some
people thought the title was too suggestive. (Obviously Tipper Gore
was involved in politics at a young age – that, or she led a double
life as a record executive.)
Well over thirty years after its release,
A Quick One features Roger Daltrey and crew growing into
their roles as the next big thing to happen to British rock. While
some of the songs contained on this record are now well-known
staples of classic rock radio, it is the hidden gems that make this
one worth searching out, dusting off, and cranking until the
neighbors threaten to call the police.
If this album will be remembered for one song, it will obviously
be “Happy Jack,” a song whose meaning I’ve never completely
understood, even though I’ve been listening to it for over a
decade. A pleasant-sounding number that focuses on the rhythm
section of guitarist Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle, as
well as on the vocal harmonies that have been noteworthy throughout
The Who’s career, this song has remained popular all this time for
a good reason. A well-written song is always able to stand the test
of time. But it is not my favorite song off this album.
Ever since I discovered their best-of
Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy as a teenager, I have always
loved the song “Boris The Spider,” a song that showed the
songwriting ability and wit of Entwistle. My wife should love this
song – a ditty about a spider (yes, a spider – with a killer chorus
provided by Entwistle) who gets smushed in the end. (Mrs. Pierce
hates the creepy-crawlies.) This one occasionally gets played on
the radio; it should really be experienced many times, just because
it’s a great song. But it’s still not my favorite song off this
album.
Oh, at one time I would have said that “Boris The Spider” was
the highlight. But now, I’d be hard pressed to choose between
“Whiskey Man,” “Run Run Run” and “So Sad About Us”. Three songs
that have received almost no attention, these are the tracks that
showed the incredible promise that The Who had in 1966. While you
can hear at least one of these on the box set released a few years
ago, I’d suggest experiencing them in the setting of this
album.
If you think I’m about to declare
A Quick One a love-fest, you’re wrong. There are some
mistakes on this album – though most of them are minor. I’ve never
really been a big fan of “A Quick One While He’s Away,” the song
that some people have said was the predecessor of
Tommy. (I think they’re grasping at straws for that
comparison;
Tommy is far more developed than this tale, and flows
somewhat better.) “Heat Wave” seems to be an addition made years
after the original pressing of the album (the sound quality is much
different on this one – and it isn’t for the better). But the true
waste of time is “Cobwebs And Strange,” a circus-based number that
almost begged for the invention of the music video, if only to give
drummer Keith Moon the chance to make a fool of himself to. This
track is one you can skip over without feeling guilty.
What surprises me about
A Quick One is how well most of it stands up after all this
time. The music only occasionally sounds dated (though not
terribly), and it’s still exciting to listen to as if it just was
released today. (At least, how I would imagine the release was like
in 1966; I wasn’t alive yet.) Unfortunately, this album seems to
have fallen into the cracks of time, even though some recent
compilations (such as
30 Years Of Maximum R ‘n B and the rediscovery of
The Rolling Stones Rock ‘N Roll Circus) have tried to
emphasize some tracks that have been forgotten about.
A Quick One is an adventure that is worth checking out,
landmines and all. Some treasures were not meant to be left
undiscovered – and The Who’s backcatalog is just waiting for
rediscovery by this generation.